Yate Community Bike Hub celebrates recycling milestone

The community project launched in May 2022 and aims to repair bikes and prevent them from going into landfill

A community project which aims to stop bikes from reaching landfill has received its 1,000th bike donation.

Since May 2022, volunteer mechanics at the Yate Community Bike Hub have spent more than 5,000 hours making donated bikes fit for the road.

As well as preventing bikes ending up at the tip, the hub passes them back into the community at low or no cost.

The initiative is now introducing free sessions to help give more people the confidence to cycle.

Becci Molyneux with the 1000th bike donated to Yate Community Bike Hub

Many Ukrainian families resettling in the community have also been gifted bikes via the project.

The hub also offers free-to-loan bikes and accessories like children's seats and trailers to encourage people to get moving and reduce their transport costs.

The new Rusty Riders sessions aim to help people gain confidence on a bike before they head out on the road.

Becci Molyneux has already signed up to three sessions.

"I haven't been bike riding in a long time but now I've been into the hub, I'd like to get cycling with my son as it starts to get warmer - the usual new year getting into healthier habits," she said.

The Yate Community Bike Hub is run by volunteers and is based in the Yate Shopping Centre.